New York, July 14: While most Kiss fans would prefer original member Ace Frehley to be at stage left when the band launches its summer trek with Aerosmith Aug. 2, the group could not have picked a more appropriate replacement than Tommy Thayer.
For more than a decade, Thayer -- ex-guitarist of '80s metal act Black 'N Blue -- has been employed in various capacities by the band. Scan the Kiss albums and videos released during the past 15 years, and you'll see his credit on the jacket of nearly every title.
In addition, he co-wrote a few of the songs on the 1989 set "Hot in the Shade," as well as a track on 1997's "Carnival of Souls." He played on 1998's "Psycho Circus" and was one of the producers of the VH1 "Beyond the Make-Up" special.
Thayer began working as a Kiss staffer in the early '90s, spending countless hours sifting through photos for the band's $150 coffee table book, "Kisstory."
When the original lineup reunited in '96, he not only served as its tour manager, but he also gave Frehley a refresher on a number of the band's licks and riffs.
But his history with Kiss goes back another 20 years.
Now 42, the Portland, Ore., native was in his early teens when he ran across a picture of the Kabuki makeup-clad quartet advertising its self-titled debut.
"I said, 'Man, that looks like something I'd be into," he says. "I got the album for Christmas in 1974. I popped it in, 'Strutter' came on, and that was the first time I ever heard Kiss.
"I listened to the whole record," he continues, "and by the time 'Black Diamond' came on, I was like, 'This is the s---!"'
Black 'N Blue would later open for Kiss on the latter's Asylum tour, which led to Kiss' Gene Simmons producing a pair of the band's albums.
In many ways, his ascent in the Kiss organization is something he's been preparing to do for years. After Black 'N Blue fizzled in the early '90s, he played Frehley in a short-lived Kiss tribute band.
And before he actually assumed the lead guitar role in Kiss full-time -- Frehley reportedly left to pursue a solo career -- Thayer had on more than one occasion come within a heartbeat of taking the stage in Frehley's signature "Spaceman" costume and makeup when the guitarist nearly missed a few shows.
Not counting a private gig in Jamaica, Thayer's first performance with the band was in February with the 60-piece Melbourne Symphony Orchestra -- a sold-out show played to 48,000, broadcast worldwide via pay-per-view and recorded for the forthcoming "Alive IV" CD and DVD.
Just prior to that gig, Thayer recalls thinking, "'Holy s---, what have I gotten myself into here?' I knew I couldn't make a mistake. Think about that: If I made a mistake, everybody was gonna be like, 'Oh, he can't cut it,' or something. But, luckily, everything went great. I was confident, and I knew we could kick some ass -- and we did."
Bureau Report
